I don’t think I’d be way off base by saying I am a bit of a free spirit. I don’t like following orders, I don’t like people questioning my motives, I don’t like the rules… wait… this sounds darn right bratty… hmmm. Oh well. All our lives it seems we are taught to do the “right thing.” What is the “right thing?” For a middle class midwestern family I’d say it’s go to college, pick a good major, make sure your future is accounted for by the time you turn 18, settle down, have some kids, blah, blah, blah, rules, rules, rules. None of this is bad by any means. People are very lucky to have accomplished these things, but it isn’t always right for everyone. We are raised to follow our dreams, reach for the stars, all those other cliché sayings. What they don’t tell us is that yes, you should follow your dreams… as long as it’s financially responsible. Reach for the stars, but try to keep your feet on the ground. Now I’m not saying every middle class American family is like this, but in general? Yes. For the lucky ones (what I consider lucky, anyway), they break through and break free. As a type 1 diabetic, I don’t see how it’s possible to break free. Spread the wings and fly… (Is that a song? I think it is…I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky, spread my wings and fly away… oh, R Kelly…) Anyway, We have to have insulin. It’s integral to living. Insulin is not cheap. How could we possibly drop everything and move to a new city, a new country, change our career path, or move to an island somewhere to sell coconuts on a beach? Anything but stay where we are? We have to have a plan, we have to have a job lined up, make sure it has a good health insurance plan, all that jazz. The kind of stuff that clips the wings of any sort of free spirited bird. The whole situation is frustrating.

I am not saying I want to run off to Mexico City and work for an amazing foundation that rescues big cats or anything, but I’m not saying it’s something I don’t want to do either. I want the option. I want to be able to think about my future and not have to consider my disease and limitations. I want to go scuba diving with some dolphins, gosh darn it! Being a free spirit for a healthy individual is hard enough in a small town middle class American society without throwing in an expensive chronic disease to go with it. I just wonder if there are any Type 1’s out there that have broken free of the expected? If so, I sure would like to hear their story!

]]>https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2015/04/30/life/feed/0darnyoupancreasYOLOhttps://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2014/09/16/yolo/
https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2014/09/16/yolo/#respondTue, 16 Sep 2014 03:23:30 +0000http://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/?p=691Continue reading →]]>I have 17 things on my bucket list. I made one after I watched the movie The Bucket List many moons ago.

Go scuba diving… Being type 1 makes this task not of a high possibility for me to do… It’s rude.

Swim amongst some dolphins and then collect one and name him flipper… Haha… Kidding…. But if a flipper wanted to befriend me I would not turn him away.

Get a tattoo… I already completed this… To which one of my brothers called me a “trash bag” ….I come from a loving family.

Fly first class… Already did this too… It was glorious!!! Hard to go back to coach with the regular joe schmoes after that, but alas… I’m poor.

See a cure for type 1 diabetes in my lifetime.

I made my list in 2008. At that time seeing a cure for Type 1 seemed like a hopeless endeavor… it still does at times. Today I got a package in the mail from JDRF wanting me to participate in one of their walks this year. I was looking through the pamphlet and the things I read gave me mucho hope for the future. They gave a list of things that they are researching that would make my life sooooo much easier.

Artificial pancreas… this would be a closed loop type of thing that expands on the pump I currently have only it would include a CGM that checks my blood sugar and gives me insulin accordingly instead of me manually having to do it. Basically it would become a robot and take control of me. It might even give me orders and I‘d have to obey it because robots may take over the world someday and I’ll be ahead of everyone because I would already be part robot. Don’t worry though… I’ll put in a good word for some of you.

There is JDRF funded research being done on a new therapy to help with diabetes related vision loss. Losing your vision is a worry amongst the T1D community. So far my eyes have showed no signs of Diabetes retinopathy… I know this for fact because I just got my eyes dilated and became a demon for a few hours while the eye doctor looked into my black eyes.

Encapsulation – There is some sort of encapsulated cell therapies being researched that could recreate beta cells that would produce insulin that could last in your body for up to 2 years… say whhhhaaaatttt????? Cool.

Smart Insulin – Insuln that you’d only have to take once a day and it would “turn off and on” accordingly to the sugar in your blood stream. Sweeeettt!!!

Potential Biological Cure for T1D!!!! This one involves restoring your actual beta cells. I think of them currently floating in my body as shriveled up dead things and the cure would be a helium type thing that inflates them into a beautiful balloon bouquet floating around bring joy to all the other cells in my body. This is in no way how would actually work, but it is what my imagination chooses to believe.

Prevention – A vaccine that could help prevent the progression of T1D for those at risk .

All these things bring me great hope and could not be done with out the funds they receive for research. The walks that JDRF does all over the country has helped to raise more than $1 billion. $1 billion!!! That’s insane. If I had a billion dollars… I’d save all the T1D’s and animals in the world!!!

On Oct. 5 I’m going to walk in St. Louis for myself and other T1Ds like myself. I’d like people to join me, but I’m not going to ask because I don’t want to put anyone on the spot…. So I’ll most likely be walking by myself…. Such is life. Feel free to donate to me though… that’d be real swell. Here is the link… You can re-read this post if you want to see all the WONDERFUL things JDRF is doing for T1Ds like myself!

]]>https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2014/09/16/yolo/feed/0darnyoupancreasConnections Connections Connectionshttps://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/connections-connections-connections/
https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/connections-connections-connections/#respondSun, 03 Aug 2014 17:57:31 +0000http://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/connections-connections-connections/Continue reading →]]>Constant connections. It’s a plaque on society!!! Today we are all constantly connected to something.. our phones.. .internet.. tv… blah blah blah all that jazz, you get the gist.. For me that includes my insulin pump. I’m so very grateful for the freedom it has given me, but today I am questioning the irony of it all.

I woke up in an “eh” mood. Cats acting like a couple jumping beans wanting to be fed…a-holes…loud motorcycles zooming around my street…a-holes (they should be outlawed between the hours of midnight and 7 am), and the ever present overanalyzing thoughts that seem to always plague my mind….a-hole thoughts. Ugh! Life! Ya know?

I read something on a friend’s facebook about how they wake up and do 30 pushups daily… in addition to their daily exercises. I figured “huh? Why not?” so I got out of bed and did that… bruised my knees because I have to do lady push-ups and my wood floors wanted to cause me pain… but non the less. Then while I was at it I figure I should go on a nice little walk. Clear the mind and soul. Forget about the problems and people in my life I can’t seem to solve for an hour. About this time my pump decides to run out of insulin. Grrreeeatttt… It only takes 5 min to change but it always feels like such an imposition. Darn you pancreas!!! I was only going to be gone for a little bit so I thought I’d go without the pump until after the walk and let me tell you…. It. Was. Glorious!!!!!! Everything about the walk. Brought my phone because I needed music (it’s a must in my life.) Sun was shining with a nice little breeze. The walk felt so refreshing and I came home feeling free. Cleared out some of those plaguing thoughts and was just happy. Then… about 2 min before I got back to my house… I remembered I didn’t have my pump on.. ugh. Life! I don’t why it was so different today, but not having that connected to me during physical activity was just really really nice. I sound like a baby complaining about the thing that essentially gives me the most freedom from Type 1 that I could be, but at the same time it feels like a chain. It got me thinking maybe I should look into other options that are not the pump. My cousin uses some sort of diabetic contraption that is not a pump. I don’t know. I’ve never researched anything other than the pump, but I need to figure out some options to get away from all these connections…. As I sit here. On the internet. On my blog. And probably share this to facebook. Haha… ugh. Life! Lol.

Anyhow, when did all these constant connections become the priority of our lives? If you read this you should go outside now. Take a sweet snooze in a hammock… if you have a hammock. Man, I wish I had a hammock…And a house in the country for which the hammock to nestle between two trees. How glorious. Oooo… or a beach! A beach hammock!!! And then pick a pinapple from the pineapple bushes that I’d have… maybe make a pino collata. If you like pino colatas…. Good song. Hmm…Maybe I have ADD?

]]>https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/connections-connections-connections/feed/0darnyoupancreasDiabetes means your pancreas looks like a shriveled up noodle.https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/diabetes-means-your-pancreas-looks-like-a-shriveled-up-noodle/
https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/diabetes-means-your-pancreas-looks-like-a-shriveled-up-noodle/#commentsMon, 17 Mar 2014 03:35:11 +0000http://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/?p=683Continue reading →]]>“Diabetes means your pancreas looks like a shriveled up noodle.” Haha… this is one of the things my family and friends had to say about Type 1 diabetes when I asked them what they thought it meant. Some gave me a legit answer and some gave me some humorous answers.

I have a habit of always saying things like “I’m low” “I’m high” I forgot to turn my pump on” “I haven’t been getting insulin the last hour” “I don’t feel good, I think my blood sugars are messed up.” “You make my face hurt.” Things that might go over some of my friends heads or have them thinking I’m some sort of alien. Type 1 has been with me for so long I forget that not everyone realizes what I’m talking about. I just assume they know and you know what it means to assume. Ass-U-Me.

I thought it’d be interesting to see what some of the people closest to me think about Type 1. It has provided me with great entertainment…so here you go. I’m keeping it somewhat anonymous so I don’t embarrass anyone.

“All I know is that you had to pee an unreal amount when you were little and it was annoying. You have to pee a lot and take shots bc your pancreas is dumb. Your pancreas is so dumb it can’t do the one thing it was supposed to. It didn’t study enough.” – Other brother

“I know that you have to watch what you eat and there’s tingling in your in feet.” – Sister in law to which my brother responded “You’re just repeating what you saw in a commercial”

“It is early onset diabetes. No cause or nothing to cause it. Your body doesn’t process glucose and therefore you have to monitor it yourself and make adjustments. Having a good diet and exercise can help too.” – Childhood Friend *There is a cause to type 1…dealing with genetics..freak genes… and some environmental things… such as an illness (like chicken pox) can trigger the cells to destroy the pancreatic cells that create my “life juices” or insulin as it is commonly referred to as.

“I think of “juvenile diabetes,” though I know it’s becoming more commonly diagnosed in adults, too. It’s a chronic disease where the pancreas isn’t able to regulate the amount of sugar in the person’s blood. It’s not curable and it’s not fair.” – childhood friend

“It is a condition in which the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin to keep the body’s blood sugar (glucose??) levels stable. People with type 1 need insulin to control it whereas type 2 people can control it in other ways, i.e. medication, diet, etc.” – New friend

“I’ll be embarrassed if I’m wrong. Type 1 diabetes is when your pancreas can’t regulate the sugar in your blood. So you need to test your blood and manage the insulin level yourself.” When I asked for a childhood memory: “I remember being jealous. I thought it was neat that you checked your blood sugar and you had that gold medical alert necklace. And you had to go to a camp for type 1 kids and I was sad I couldn’t do that too.” – Childhood Friend *Side note: Diabetes Camp was the WORST experience of my LIFE! Putting a shy introverted kid in a camp where I knew no one was my worst nightmare. I’m lucky I made it out alive… haha… I’m not being dramatic or anything… I would never be dramatic!!! NO!!!

“It’s a life time sentence given to children. Children that should not have to be burdened with dietary restrictions. Children that never asked to have to test their blood several times a day. Children that just want to fit in with their friends. To have the freedom to enjoy a piece of birthday cake at a party without the hassle. Adults that have to watch everything they put into their bodies. Doctor appointments. Fear they’ve done something wrong that could have terrible consequences. A lifetime sentence without the chance for parole except they never committed a crime.” – Childhood friend – She told me after this she wasn’t trying to be gloomy, but that she was just trying to think of the hardships and I’d say she was pretty accurate… at least accurate in getting into my mind on the matter.

“Well from what I have gathered diabetes is a condition where a persons pancreas doesn’t function properly enough to provide the body with enough insulin to stabilize blood sugar levels…as far as “what it is”.. That’s about all I know really.. I’m not familiar with the different types and the differences really.. I know there are type 1 and 2 I think.. And then I know there is juvenile diabetes and also my mom had gestational diabetes when she was pregnant with me.” – New friend *Juvenile is type 1

All in all I think most people had the basic gist of it all…except my family.. and there were a few statements from friends that weren’t a 100% but they did good and that makes my heart happy. I was planning on gathering more from people because I’m very interested in what people in my life have to say about it, but I lack patience so I’m going to post this one and maybe do a part 2 at a later date.

I knew I wanted to write something tonight, but I couldn’t think of anything so I asked a trusty friend and she suggested a holiday post. If you hate this post please direct your negativity to your mirror and punch yourself in the face.

Holidays… what can I say? It’s a tricky time for a diabetic. Lots of traveling, non normal eating times, tons of food and dessert floating around all over the place…one needs to be a little extra diligent so they don’t go into a high blood sugar coma.

Uhhhh…turns out I don’t think I have the humor to do this post tonight… heart is a tad sad. Perhaps it is the winter blues, perhaps it is something else, either way I’m going to have to come back to this one because I think it will be a good one to write in the appropriate mood. Buuuttt I want to post something so I’m going to repost one of my favorites.. Top 10 Reasons it Sucks to be Type 1 Diabetic. And suck it does. That’s what she said.

Top 10 Reasons it Sucks to be Type 1 Diabetic

You need to be a math magician. Count carbs, give the right amount of insulin to account for carbs, try to exercise and need to figure out how much less insulin to give so you don’t go low or high if you subtract too much. Blah blah blah. I could go on, but I don’t feel like it. So there! >:P

Attachment disorder. I feel abnormally attached to my pump….I guess that isn’t really abnormal, it does keep me kickin’ and not cremated in a jar somewhere. However, I do feel practically naked if it is disconnected from me for too long. I may be liable to flip out and start running into walls repeatedly until I am magically connected again.

Diet Soda. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE diet soda, but when I go to restaurants it is sometimes hard to distinguish if the waiter/waitress actually gave me a diet soda. If the fountain tank contraption thing-a-ma-bobbers aren’t set up right it can have too much syrup stuff and make a diet soda not taste diet. Then I have to ask the person(s) I’m with to test it out for me, while they look at me like I’m a nut job, and 8 times out of 10 they can’t tell themselves. Then I have to ask the waiter/waitress to get me a new one to be safe and risk them spitting in my drink for being a nuisance.

Sugar Free Hard Candy. Evil stuff. Tastes like death wrapped around a dirty rock dipped in a packet of Equal. Some people (teachers, mostly) have tried to be respectful and give this to me as if to say “they care” but it actually makes me think they are trying to kill me. Give me the real stuff. I have an insulin pump. I can handle it.

Bloody fingers. Yuck. Also, attached to this one is holes. I poke holes in my fingers, holes in my belly. I’m just a holy gal, I guess.

Eating. I like to eat, but I don’t like being forced to eat because my blood sugar is low or not being able to eat because I’m waiting to stop getting high.

Tubing on the pump. My pump has tubing…I’m sure most of you have seen it hanging out of my clothes. Lord knows people like to constantly tell me it’s not tucked in. Well, sometimes it doesn’t want to be hidden. Sometimes it wants to be foot loose and fancy free.

Tubing on the pump. I already said this one? Well, I have more to say. Shock, I know. Sometimes when the tubing is hanging free kids and cats think it is ok to play with it like a string, and I don’t realize until I feel a tug on the part connected to me. Ouch, people.

Insurance companies. Enough said.

And the last one is….. drum rollplease….

10. Media Portrayal of Diabetes. Some medias get it right but most of the time no one distinguishes what type is being discussed (usually type 2) so all the normal people remain uninformed and see all diabetes as fixable and preventable. “Can’t you just exercise and you’ll be better?” No! I have type 1, buttface! Get the facts. Then I have to go into the whole immune system thing and how my body just decided to turn on itself and the cells that fight off sickness in my body saw my pancreas cells as bad (even though they are good, very good) and visciously ripped their throats out. And then the people’s eyes glaze over and they stop listening and just nod.

]]>https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2013/11/20/holidays-schmolidays/feed/2darnyoupancreasPlease Don’t Ever Say This to a Type 1 (Prob Type 2’s too)https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/please-dont-ever-say-this-to-a-type-1-prob-type-2s-too/
https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/please-dont-ever-say-this-to-a-type-1-prob-type-2s-too/#commentsTue, 10 Sep 2013 00:33:16 +0000http://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/?p=672Continue reading →]]>I have compiled a list of things that you should never say to me unless you want to get beat.

Now… this post is in good fun so to any family and friends out there who have said any of this to me…deal with it, yo. I’m 50% kidding, 50% serious. In other words I’m old enough that I don’t really care one way or the other if you say these shenanigans to me.

I don’t want anyone to stop asking me questions on my diseaseys in the heazies (that’s what I’m nicknaming it tonight) I like informing people of the different types and what I do to keep on truckin’ so keep on askin.” I’m in the mood that I’m part country/ part gansta tonight.

Anyway here are a few for you.

1. “You need to eat something.”

This is a big one in my family and most of the time I’m told this when I’m completely normal…and by normal I mean my normal strange self. Proceeding this statement is people bringing me food after I already said I didn’t want anything… I’ve survived with this for 25 years…I’m well aware of when I need to eat something. I appreciate the caring, but please stop harassing me.

In my younger days they used to constantly give me rice krispy treats and muffins…. I swear, to this day, I can’t look at a rice krispy treat without getting upset and quite frankly, scared someone is going to try to make me eat it. I’ll probably have nightmares tonight. Thanks a lot, blog!

2. “Have your kidneys/ eyes/ feet or whatever complication a type 1 can give you down the road failed you yet?”

Ummmm…seriously? It’s the “yet” that gets me riled. You don’t knowwwww me. You don’t knowwwww where I live. Just cause you know an old man that had problems doesn’t mean I will.

3. “Should you be eating that?”

This one doesn’t bother me as much as it does other type 1’s. I’ve said it in previous posts. We can eat whatever you can eat…we just have to give enough insulin to cover it. Research and medicine treatments have come a long way since 20 years ago. Join the 21st century why don’t ya?

4. “Why are you acting weird? Are you low?”

It’s my face. Shush it.

5. “Is that a pager?”

Yes. Yes it is a pager. I’m very important…. living in the 90’s and all that jazz.

That’s all you people get. Now stop harassing me for more blog posts!! Haha…100% kidding on that one!! Thanks for the support and requests.

1. I didn’t feel good and I was in a bad mood with a lot on my mind that I needed to figure out. When these things occur I am not exactly hungry and I find it annoying to have to take a break from feeling sorry for myself and try to find something to eat before I pass out. Diabetes is a rude brat. (And if any of you reading this are thinking I’m the brat I will punch you in the face.)

2. I opened my new pack of juice boxes I keep on hand for low blood sugars and realized I bought the kind that has “less sugar and naturally sweetened” blah blah blah. That’s all fine and dandy for moms wanting to feed their kids something healthier, but it kind of defeats the purpose for me. Not only does it not taste as good as the normal kind I now have to drink two of the darn things to equal one of the more sugary kind to get my blood sugar raised appropriately. Diabetes is a rude brat. (Don’t you dare think that about me, readers! Remember my earlier threats?)

3. Washed my sheets today and I hop in bed to get all snug as a bug in my fresh clean blankets, roll to the side, and yep… feel the sting on my pump insertion site telling me I ripped part of it out. Now I gotta get out of my nice, clean bed and change out my site. Bleh. Diabetes is a rude brat. (Yeah, maybe I am a brat too. Deal with it, yo!)

On another note…. I was in Walgreens buying a lovely birthday card for a lady I work with and at the check out you can once again donate to JDRF. I hope you all think of me and my bad day next time you are checking out at Walgreens and open your wallets a little more, maybe toss a buck or two JDRF’s way in honor of me and my fellow type 1 comrades.

If you made it to the end I thank you for listening to my rantings. You’re swell people.

]]>https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/you-suck-diabetes/feed/1darnyoupancreasEmily’s Silver Linings Playbookhttps://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2013/06/27/emilys-silver-linings-playbook/
https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2013/06/27/emilys-silver-linings-playbook/#commentsThu, 27 Jun 2013 02:33:24 +0000http://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/?p=628Continue reading →]]>Silver linings. Silver linings are defined as “a hopeful or comforting prospect in the midst of difficulty.” I believe every difficult aspect of life can have a silver lining. You just have to look for it. Finding a silver lining for having type 1 diabetes is not too hard for me. As annoying as it can be at times, I’ve never had too much difficulty finding the humor in it as well as using it to my advantage when warranted.

You know what? I’m having writers block right now so I am going to go do some Just Dance 3 on the Wii to get my brain waves flowin’…If I had a big trampoline that’d be better, but alas, I do not. Please starting crying for me. This is a tragedy.

Ok, I’m back now.

For me the biggest silver lining on being type 1 is probably getting away with whatever I want. Haha. Want to punch someone in the face? Do it. “My blood sugar was really low, like 20. I’m lucky I didn’t go into a coma and die.” Get really hyper for no blood sugar related reason and embarrass yourself? “I was soooo low… clearly I would never sing in a super high voice and prance around a room if my blood levels were good.” Want to get out of going to your Great Aunt Sally’s bagpipe convention? “I’m having some issues with my insulin pump. I’ll probably be on the phone with the supplier for hours….sorry ’bout it.” Not paying attention to someone who’s talking? “I’m sorry, I need to go check my blood sugar.” Works like a charm.

My next silver lining is more in my mind and not for every type 1 out there, but sometimes I feel like I skipped out on other illnesses and problems because of my type 1ness. I don’t have allergies, I don’t really get headaches or such things. I feel like God is up there saying “Yo, she’s diabetic. She doesn’t need any other problems on top of that.” Why, thank you sir. Thank you very much.

There’s more silver linings out there, but I’m ready to move on to another task of the evening. Like practice some guitar…which is annoying and I want to bash it against a wall in frustration most of the time…. whoah. I must have a high blood sugar right now.

Ah..crossfit…one day you are riding on top of the world and the next you are laying flat on the ground barely able to move while ghost babies beat on your muscles with hammers.

I started crossfit 10 weeks ago and it has definately been a love/hate relationship. If you don’t know what crossfit is, I suggest you look it up as I could probably go on and on about the tortuous things we do…haha.. I kidd, I kidd…It is a pretty difficult and painful thing at times, but it is also very addicting and rewarding.

I am currently in experimental phases on how to deal with being type 1 diabetic while participating in such an intense workout. And for those of you who have not done it before, when I say intense, I mean INTENSE… My first couple weeks doing it I was in a constant state of extreme muscle soreness, here are a few difficulties I had:

1. I was unable to pick up the phone at my job without grimicing in pain at the soreness of my triceps.

2. At one point, and this is 100% fact, I had a staring contest with a stapler while I tried to figure out if I would be able to lift it, let alone actually staple my papers… I think I might have had to ask someone to help me… buutt.. in my defense it was a heavy duty stapler. Weighed at least a pound! haha

3. A couple of nights I had trouble sleeping. Every way I positioned myself was painful. I ended up laying on my back with my hands at my side as if I was a vampire sleeping in a coffin.

4. I can’t tell you how many times the lady I work with (Yeah, I said it, T!) laughed at me when I couldn’t get up or sit back down in my chair. I can still hear her laughter sometimes in my nightmares. So mean.

At this moment, some of you may be wondering “Why the heck does she do crossfit if it’s that bad?” To that I would say this:

1. It’s addicting. I don’t know why but somewhere along the line they hooked me. Maybe they are giving us drugs through the air vents. IDK. Just trust me when I say it is addicting.

2. The standard rewards for doing any type of exercising. Weight loss, more engery, more strength to lift staplers at work, etc.

3. Crossfit is hard and as they say “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.” I’ve taken that concept to things in my life outside of crossfit. For example, I’ve gone to the diabetes doctor 2-4 times a year…since I was 6 and everytime they stick needles in my arm and take my blood. I hate it. I’ve always had to lay down while they take it because the one time they said I was old enough to start sitting up for the process (I think I was in Junior High) I passed out. I watched them look for my veins, stick the needle in me and then as I watched the tubes fill with blood…bam! Lights out. Since then I have told the nurses I am laying down so I don’t pass out and I usully get looked at like a major weirdo and a “You’re too old to be such a baby about this” …this is turning into a long story…. Anyhoo, I just went to the doctor last week and as I was sitting there I thought to myself “If I can survive crossfit 4 times a week surely I can sit up while they take my blood.” And you know what? I could. It sounds stupid but I was quite the proud gordon. I did have my neck turned to the side as far as possible so I wouldn’t see any of the process to the point I had trouble straightening my head to face frontwards again.

This post didn’t really have much to do with my type 1ness, but I am a living (obviously I’m living and not a ghost writing this. Or am i? Bruce Willis was dead the whole time…think about it) back to the point… I am living proof that an average type 1 who is not super fit can do it. If I can do it, you can do it! Probably should talk to your doctors before starting though. It does wreak havoc on the blood sugars. I’m still experimenting with my pump process.

Also, if any of you are my friends outside of this blog please feel free to join the crossfit gym I go to…just make sure you said Emily referred you ;)….and, yeah, I’ve probably already tried to talk you into it, but just do it. 10 weeks isn’t that hard of a commitment and from there you can see if you want to officially join. I won’t tell you it is easy, but I will tell you it is worth it.

]]>https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/crossfit-and-type-1-diabetes/feed/3darnyoupancreaseasy-hardpainNot For the Faint of Hearthttps://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/not-for-the-faint-of-heart/
https://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/not-for-the-faint-of-heart/#commentsSun, 14 Apr 2013 23:05:02 +0000http://darnyoupancreas.wordpress.com/?p=608Continue reading →]]>I went to the doctor recently and was scolded for my a1c (average of my overall blood sugar levels over a 3 month period) being too high… I blame crossfit but more on that later. I was told I need to keep my CGM (continuous glucose monitor) on for two weeks and then go back to see if it has gone down… Unfortunately I have been having major issues with the CGM and I feel like showing you all a gross display of bloody pictures. If you are faint of heart I suggest you leave this page immediately… If it wasn’t my own blood I’d probably pass out in heap…

I don’t even know why there was such a bad bruise… I was actually pretty shocked to discover it after I removed the CGM and saw it. Yuck. That stinkin’ sensor cost $40 and only lasts for 3-7 days so it really really sucks when they don’t work the first day you put it in.

Anndd… The sensor I had in prior was fine until I went to crossfit the day of insertion and sweated my face off, because when I got home and went to shower the sensor was completely out… The sweat made it not stick to me anymore, I suppose. That’s $80 worth of sensors in a 2 day period. Son. Of. A. Monkey’s. Uncle!! Does any type 1’s with a CGM have any good taping suggestions I could use to prevent this from happening in the future? Cause, seriously, $40 is a lot of money to be tossing down the drain for this poor gal…